Acetylene-gas-generating lamp.



PATBNTED MAY 22, 1906.

P. EfBALDWIN. YLENE GAS GBNBRATING LAMP. APPLlCATION FILED .JULY l5y AUET and insert a new Wick, which is at best a trou* lolesc'rno procedure. Again, if the lamp has .not been usen for some time the .wich dries out, and a very appreciable time is required to soas it up so that the Water' Will 'again flow through.

method which l have invented for se` curing 'the proper lfeed under all circumstances i.riftiiout the above objectionable features is to the bore of the ductoi comparatively large size and then restrict it by means of a `Wire or rod preferably centrally located therein to leave a channel of the 'proper size. "im eiTangenientis simple; but in along es;- ye' .e it has been found to be entirely successul. it is 'possible to secure the correct drop-b edrop feed with duct of considerable size, sin'c'e the ji'ri'ction of the Water on the iarge 'area of the tube-wall and wire reduces its ilow. This retfarding-friction m ay be regulated by varying the size ofivire used. The duct does not become choked, it foreign particles are deposited therein the Water dan take a 'zigza 'course around it Without the supply being var'ipreciably afectlf it is at any time necessary to clean the tube, the Wire is simply reciprocated and rotated a few times from the outside of the lamp Without disturbing the position of other parts. This nice regulation of the flow enables me to entirely dispense with the troublesome adjustment of the valve. if a valve is used at all, it is employed to shut oil' the flow entirely and not to regulate it. The construction just described is shown' in Fig. l, in vwhich Lis the Water-supply tube, and N the constricting-Wire. in this illustration the "size of the parts is ofcourse exaggerated. Fig. 2 shows a similar construction with a Valve M 'on the ccnstricting-Wire M, which may he set by turning the screw-plug M in top of the lamp. YIn some cases, however, there is employed in connection with the ineens for introducing the water into the mass 'of carbid a device in the nature of a stirre'r, "which on proper manipulation may be used to break up the mass of carbid surrounding the outlet ofthe Water-duct and which by havin(lr become slaked and cake'd by the action oi Water prevents the proper percolation of the latter to the unslalted caroi'd i'n the receptacle G, Fig. l. As such device I employ a stem or rod N, which extends down through the tube L and is bent at substantially 'right angles to form an arm N. This rod may form a `prolongation of the traire-stem M of Fig. 2 or in case. no valve is used may extend from the top of the lamp down Vthrough 'the Water-reservoir, as shown in Fig. 3.

.es calcium carbid possesses strongly absorbtive properties, the introduction of Water through the tube L will result in the gradual slaling of the material about its outlet; but the lime thus produced becomes gradually less permeable to the Water, so that an insufficient quantity of gas is generated to maintain the proper dame. EV hen this becomes noticeable, the rod N is'turned, so as to cause the arm N to break up to a greater or less eX- tent the mass of lime, and in practice I have found that under vordinary Vconditions this is amply suhcicnt to insure a substantially unie form generation of gas until 4all of the carbid in the receptacle-G is exhausted. if,

In the larger-sized lamps it is desifable to employitwo or more Water-tubes L and, if desired, stirring-rods N, extending downto different pois in the carbidreceptacle. This is indicated in Fig. 4, which is an under plan View oi' the bottom D 'of the water-reservoir, showing three Water-tubes L in section. lt is, however, desirable When a plurality of stirring-rods are employed that some means be provided for actuating all of them simultaneously. is shot in Fig. o, in which O is a ring placed on top of the lamp, with which b'ent'ends of all the rods N engage, so that a partial rotation of the ring Will impart a corresponding movement to each rod;

The meacesjor consuming an ecess'ofgas.- Although the means described above eiect a remarkably luniform generation of gas, it. sometimes occurs that an amount of gas in excess of that required for the burner is tern porarily produced, and the usual pl'an is to provide some channel o'rits escape into the When the lamps are used in confined places, however, this method of dis o'sing of the unconsurned gas is objectionab e, owing to its Very disagreeable odor. To. remedy this, l provide a channel of escape, which terminates in the immediate vicinity of the burner proper, so that anyexcess of'g'as which may issue will be ignited by the flame of the burner andconsurned. This may be aocornplished in various ways; but the most practical of which l am at present aware 1s that shown in Fi l. in this figure there is shown a tube P, which 'extends downward from the top of the lamp to a )oin't near the orifice of the water-tube L in t e lower part ofthe Water-reservoir E. The rod N extends through this tube Without leaving sufficient space for passage of: esca ing gas. The air to re Alace the Water Whic i, flows into the carbid-c amber enters through the burner and tube hereinafter described. When more gas is generated than is carried off by the burner-tube, it forces the water up through the tube L and enters the Water-reservoir. Practically none of the gas will lind its Way up the tube P under any circumstances, but rising to the upper partot the reservoir E it escapes through A device suitable-for this purpose e. tube R, provided with e vent S of euch character es to constitute e bnrner'end in Y Such close proximity tothe mein burner J thet any gee issuing through it will be ignited by the iieme of the letter'end burned.

The specific construction of the Various parte of my lamp may be, es Will be seen from e. consideration of the nature ofthe improvements, very greatly varied Without departing from the invention.

i What I claim is 1. In e lmnp of 'the kind described, the combination With a Wete1'-reservoi1',nnd e re ceptncle for celciuni carbid, of e tubeextendingr from the former n considerable distance into the letter so es tobe embedded in the mess of carbid contained in seid rece tecle,

end e rod or stein extending throng seid tube into the cerbi(lreceptecle and having its endformed es e stirrer to breek up the sleked carbid around-the outlet of the Wetertube, es set forth. y

2. In e leinjp'o the kind described, the combination with e Wetenreservoir, end n re-` ceptecle `for calcium carbid, of e tube extending from the former into the letter eo es to be embedded in the mess of carbid contained in the receptacle, e rod extending from e point outside of the lamp through the tube and into the carbid-chamber end having its end bent `to forni n stirrer for breaking up the slckcd carbid around theoutlet of the Watern tube, as set forth.

3. In e lamp of the kind described, the

combination with e'wetelreeeryoir, end e rece tecle for calcium carbid, of epinrehty of tu es extending from the tormer'into the letter so es to be embedded in the mese of cerbid contained inthe receptacle, e stirrer essing throuvli each tube adapted to brein up the slekec carbid around the end of the tube, end Ineens for ectueting ell the stirrers simultaneously, es set forth. Y

4. In e lmnp of the kind described, the combine tion With e Weter-reservoir, and e receptecle for calcium carbid, oi' e Water-tube extending from the former e considerable distance into tlie'letter and adapted to be elnbedded in the mass of carbid in the receptecle, and e rod extending through the Watertnbe and constituting e stirrer to break up slnked carbid around the outlet of the Wetertube, es set forth.

5. In e lmnp of the kind described,` the combil'letion with e. Water-reservoir, e cerbid-receptecle, end e tube restricted by n Wire extending into the carbid-receptacle from outside the lamp and open to the Weter-rescrv'oir, e tube exterior to the lamp, connected with the reservoir end adjacent to the Ine-in burner,l and equipped with e burner, seid euxiliery burner acting es en nir-vent to admit nir during the norinel operation of the lamp.

FREDERIC E. BALDWIN.

Witnesses NA LAWSON DYER, S. S.. DUNHAM. 

